Glorious Virtue of Ivory (NPC)
Introduction Intimacies Stats Abilities Caste Craft Fate: 4 Dodge: 5 Linguistics: 4 Performance: 5 Socialize: 5 Favored Martial Arts: 5 Presence: 4 Bureaucracy: 5 Lore: 4 Other Archery: 2 Awareness: 4 Integrity: 2 Medicine: 5 Resistance: 3 Survival: 3 Investigation: 3 Larceny: 3 Occult: 3 Stealth: 3 Specialties Bureaucracy - Bending Rules: 1 Presence - Persuasion: 1 Investigation - Conducting Interviews: 1 Medicine - Midwifing: 1 Backgrounds Artifact: 3 Celestial Manse: 2 - An elegant pagoda or an expansive townhouse. Produces a level 2 hearthstone. Salary: 3 - You own a townhouse in a good neighborhood, a faux-ranch with land or a rooftop temple-fortress. You travel by your own dragon boat or aerial rickshaw, and you have a dozen servitors. Most of your pay comes in Ambrosia, so your repast is godly. You have Resources •••• in Heaven and could have Resources ••••• in Creation if you could get away with it. Members of the Bronze Faction usually achieve this pay rate. Backing: Gold Faction: 3 - Head of a minor fate-planning committee; respected faction member. Connections: Bureau of Destiny - Serenity: 4 - Five major contacts and a horde of people willing to talk, one of the most influential in the bureau. Connections: The Cult of the Illuminated: 1 - At least one major contact and a few minor ones, influential on a local scope. Health Merits None! Flaws Permanent Caste Mark - Ivory's caste mark is permanently visible on his forehead. The mark does not glow unless the character spends Peripheral Essence, and unless it glows, it can be concealed with a thick headband or some other kind of headgear. The symbolism behind the Sidereal caste marks is less well known due to the Sidereals' efforts to conceal their own history. Sterile - Does this need any further explanation? Dude can't have kids. Throwback - One of Ivory's past lives exerts a powerful and unhealthy influence over him. When this Merit is selected, the player and Storyteller must jointly define the personality of one of the character's past lives, include her Motivation and Intimacies. When the character finds himself in a situation that would tend to evoke the past life's Motivation or Intimacies, roll the character's Willpower against a difficulty equal to his Essence. If the roll fails, the character is overwhelmed by the emotions of the past life and must act according to her Motivation and Intimacies instead of his own. This is considered a form of unnatural mental influence that lasts for a number of hours equal to the Flaw's rating 2. Ivory can act against the externally imposed Motivation and Intimacies for one scene by spending a Willpower point. He can overcome it completely by spending a number of Willpower points equal to the Flaw's rating. The Storyteller is free to veto any past life concepts that are not sufficiently in opposition to the character's normal goals. Example of an acceptable concept: a Gold Faction Sidereal who was previously a Bronze Faction member. Charms Excellencies Charm Name - Type, Length, Keywords Other Charm Name - Type, Length, Keywords Combos None! Martial Arts Crystal Chameleon Style Just Another Branch Deceit - Supplemental, Instant; Combo-Basic Radiating Essence through his chakras in a precisely controlled array, Ivory breaks light around himself, creating intermittent highlights of illumination and shadow throughout the area which help draw attention away from him. This Charm may supplement an attempt to reestablish surprise (see Exalted, p. 156) during combat, adding three automatic successes to the attempt. If Ivory enjoys more than 50% hard cover due to the environment at the time of activation, the Charm provides four automatic successes instead. He must still have the opportunity to attempt to reestablish surprise in the first place. Light-Treading Technique - 1 wp, Reflexive, One Scene; Combo-OK, Obvious Extending his anima in an ablative envelope around himself, Ivory eases his passage through the world. He adds her Martial Arts rating in yards to his Move and Dash actions, and raises his Dodge DV by one against ranged attacks. Flashing Passage - 1wp, Supplemental, One Action; Combo-OK, Obvious Collapsing his Essence into pure forward momentum, Ivory briefly blurs and disappears from sight. This Charm supplements a Dash action, which may not be part of a flurry. The total distance the character travels is quadrupled after all other modifiers, and he cannot be seen or targeted while moving. This Charm's stealth element explicitly fails without provoking a roll-off against effects that would allow others to notice an otherwise perfectly invisible character. Crystal Chameleon Form - Simple, One Scene; Form-Type, Obvious Flashing Leaves Evasion - Reflexive, Instant; Combo-OK, Obvious Razor-Edged Prism Assault - 1wp, Extra Action, Instant; Combo-OK, Obvious Shattered Crystal Rebuke - 1wp, Reflexive, Instant; Combo-OK, Counterattack, Obvious Death from Nowhere Method - 4m, Supplemental, Instant; Combo-OK] Stepping Beyond the Light Prana - 10m, Reflexive, One Scene; Obvious] Throne Shadow Style Lotus Eye Tactics - or 3m, Reflexive, Indefinite; Combo-OK Sidereals understand the world; much of their power to act upon the world proceeds from this fact. When the character perceives an individual whose Martial Arts rating is equal to or higher than his own, that fact becomes Obvious to his senses unless the character is using a supernatural disguise of some kind. Alternately, for a cost of 3m, the character knows all combat Abilities a perceived individual possesses which are rated equal to or higher than his Martial Arts rating. Lion Mouse Stratagem - Reflexive, Indefinite; Combo-OK, Illusion Sidereals deceive the world, presenting themselves as less than what they are; much of their power to act upon the world proceeds from this fact. The Sidereal cloaks herself in the humble and unassuming air of the neophyte student, the civil servant, or the hanger-on in the company of legends. She seems unthreatening, imposing a -3 external penalty on all attempts to gauge her nature and the level of her skill. This unassuming mien also makes it difficult to view the Sidereal as a serious threat; all attempts to re-establish surprise enjoy a bonus of (Sidereal’s Essence 5) dice. This Charm constitutes a form of unnatural mental influence costing two Willpower to resist for one scene. Sifu's Useful Fingers - Simple, Indefinite; Combo-OK, Enhanced Sidereals advise the world; much of their power to act upon the world proceeds from this fact. Disdaining such crude weapons as fighting gauntlets or appropriated barstools, the Sidereal turns others into his instruments—be they pawns or kings. The Sidereal may enlighten an individual with five minutes of one-on-one advice and simple-but-profound martial demonstrations. The beneficiaries of such instruction temporarily enjoy one bonus dot of Martial Arts and add the Sidereal’s Martial Arts rating to their Dodge MDV so long as the Vizier commits Essence to this Charm. She may sustain a commitment to up to (Essence x 2) beneficiaries at once. Sidereals know such beneficiaries as shadow fingers. Enhanced: a Sidereal exalt automatically becomes aware when one of her shadow fingers is attacked, regardless of the distance separating them. Throne Shadow Form - Simple, One Scene; Form-type Combining insight, deceit, and the shadow fingers she has accumulated, the Sidereal makes a terrible fist with which to guard all things within destiny’s design. While this Form is active, all shadow fingers within (Dexterity x 3) yards are considered to be protecting the martial artist with a Defend Other action at all times. Additionally, the Sidereal may launch coordinated attacks with her shadow fingers, substituting Martial Arts for War, and such attempts are made at difficulty 1 regardless of the number of fingers participating in the attack. The Sidereal and her fingers may also strike dematerialized targets while this Form is active, though this Charm does not help them find and target such beings. Shadows Lost in the Court - 1wp, Supplemental, Instant; Combo-OK The world of the Exalted is a world of vast, eye-catching luminaries; nobody notices a shadow lost in the tangle of the crowd. This Charm enhances an attempt to re-establish surprise in a crowd (defined as a scene in which at least 20 characters are present), producing a -2 external penalty on attempts to spot the Sidereal. If the Sidereal has at least two shadow fingers present, this also qualifies as a crowd, permitting her to attempt to re-establish surprise. Pneuma-Sealing Strike - Reflexive, Instant; Combo-OK, Crippling, Enhanced, Obvious Sidereals are known for their discretion, never sullying the courts of the Lawgivers with the blood of would-be assassins or the screams of intercepted fanatics. Their killing arts are cleaner than that. This Charm supplements an unarmed martial arts attack. Should it successfully strike its target, that individual’s breath is sealed, and he begins suffocating (see Second Edition Core, p. 130). The target may make a reflexive (Strength + Athletics) roll every thirty seconds at a difficulty of the martial artist’s Essence rating to attempt to break free and resume breathing normally. Until he does so, he suffers a -2 internal penalty to all actions. The martial artist may also restore a target’s breath by striking them with this Charm again. Enhanced: this Charm may alternately be used to steal the target’s breath altogether. The Sidereal may subsequently try to strangle the target with her own breath, treating such attempts as a dire chain-assisted grapple attempt. Should the target regain her breath, this weapon vanishes from the Sidereal’s grasp. Deadliest of All Weapons - Reflexive, Instant; Combo-OK, Poison There is no deadlier weapon than truth, which Sidereals may unleash on destiny’s behalf. Should an unarmed attack supplemented by this Charm strike its target, they are poisoned with a toxin with the following traits: (Special/one hour, 5, —/—, -1). Rather than doing damage, this toxin infects the victim’s chakras and her mind, rendering her incapable of lying or dissembling. Should she speak, she may only speak the truth as best she knows it. Clear Eyes Defense - 1wp, Reflexive, One Scene; Combo-OK, Counterattack, Enhanced The Sidereals are destiny’s guardians and the eyes of the Exalted. Their vision must not be clouded, and those who would attempt such stratagems must be punished. While this Charm is active, the Sidereal may launch an unarmed Martial Arts counterattack against any individual who attempts to inflict unnatural mental influence on him. If this influence is ongoing, the counterattack triggers the first time the Sidereal is exposed to it after activating Clear Eyes Defense. Enhanced: at Essence 3+ a counterattack which successfully strikes its target also perfectly negates the unnatural mental influence which triggered it. Welcoming the Uninvited Guest - Simple, Five Actions; Combo-OK, Obvious Striking the air with her palm, the Sidereal sets an Essence-vibration racing through the world. The Exalt makes an unarmed martial arts attack; all hidden characters within (Martial Arts x 10) yards must make a reflexive opposed Dexterity + Stealth roll against the attack’s successes. Should the Sidereal garner more successes, then a series of ripples and distortions in the air give away the individual’s location and render stealth impossible for five actions. This Charm also automatically reveals dematerialized beings within its range in this manner. Finger-Stealing Handshake - 1wp, Simple, One Scene; Combo-OK, Enhanced, Servitude Improvisation is a cherished skill of brawlers and courtly guardians alike. The Sidereal rolls (Charisma + Martial Arts), issuing an exhortation to abandon arms and loyalties and rally to him for the sake of the world’s preservation. This battlefield plea is ineffective against heroes and supernatural beings, but the weak minds of the world’s extras may be easily swayed to change their loyalties. Compare the Sidereal’s roll to the highest MDV of any hostile extra present; should the Sidereal succeed, (Essence x 2) extras switch sides and immediately begin fighting under the Sidereal’s leadership (assuming that so many are present). These extras are considered to be shadow fingers until the end of the scene; after that point, the Sidereal must use Sifu’s Useful Fingers on them if he is to retain them as his tools. This Charm’s unnatural mental influence costs three points of Willpower to resist. Enhanced: at Essence 4+, then this Charm may also win the loyalty of mindless automatons, including undead, though such beings add their master’s Essence to their MDV if they are under magical control. World as Weapon Mastery Permanent Those who wield the world as a weapon are never alone, and as such, cannot be defeated. The attacks of the Sidereal’s shadow fingers are now considered to be her unarmed attacks for the purpose of Charms of Throne Shadow style. Flow-Breaking Strike - 1wp, Supplemental, Instant; Combo-OK, Crippling, Stackable Feeling along a tenor of fate, a Sidereal may strike at her opponent’s relevance, separating the momentous from the also-ran. This Charm supplements an unarmed martial arts attack; should the attack strike its target, that all of that target’s actions raise their Speed by one for (Sidereal’s Essence / 2, round up) actions. Subsequent strikes reset this timer and cumulatively increase the Speed of the target’s actions. This Charm may not raise a target’s Speed higher than 7. The Lotus Blossoms - Native Masters of space and time, Sidereals embody the principles which engender the Martial Arts. This Charm replicates the effects of the Solar Charm Divine Transcendence of Martial Arts. Eyes Toward an Ending - Reflexive, Instant; Combo-OK, Counterattack A Sidereal activating this Charm modifies his opponent’s attacks. For one action, all attacks against the Exalt suffer an internal penalty equal to the difference between the Ability being used and the lowest of the attacker’s Archery, Martial Arts, Melee and Thrown ratings. Eyes Toward an Ending must be activated while the character is using a Form-type Charm and may expressly enhance any Form-type Charm the character knows. Sapphire Veil of Passion Style Into Infinite Depths - Reflexive, Instant; Combo-OK This Charm allows the martial artist to see and discern the nature and capibilites of her opponent with a high degree of clarity, granting her bonuses to her DVs and MDVs against the target. This Charm has special rules when activated when Sapphire Veil of Passion Form is active. See the full text of the Charm for further details. Eternal Infatuation Dance - Reflexive, Indefinite; Combo-OK, Counterattack, Obvious In response to any kind of attack, the martial artist disappears then reappears next to his attacker. This can be used as a perfect dodge. Unless he actively chooses to move away, the martial artist may remain next to his opponet no mater how they are travelling. For further details see the full text of the Charm. Yellow Dragon Flight - 1wp, Supplemental, Instant; Combo-OK, Obvious This Charm agressively augments an unarmed attack, adding many bonuses and allowing the martial artist to destroy some of the opponent's motes. For further details see the full text of the Charm. Black Dragon Coils - 3wp, Reflexive, Instant; Combo-OK, Obvious This is a perfect parry against an incoming attack and also allows the martial artist to regain spent Virtue channels. See the full text of the Charm for further details. Dissolution of Value - Reflexive, Indefinite; Combo-OK, Obvious This Charm significantly reduces penalties to the martial artist's DVs. This ends if the martial artist moves from the spot the Charm was activated. See the full text of the Charm for details. Satisfying Idle Fantasy - Reflexive, One Scene; Combo-OK, Emotion No penalties may apply to the martial artist's dice pools against anyone who the character has scoped out with Into Infinite Depths, with a few exceptions. Also, attacks against that individual can produce an Intimacy to the martial artist. See the full text of the Charm for details. Sapphire Veil of Passion Form - Simple, One Scene; Crippling, Form-Type, Emotion, Obvious This form grants the martial artist perfect balence, the ability to move over hazardous terrain without danger, and makes it significantly harder for those with an Intimacy toward him to attack him. It allows him to regain motes whenever his DV refreshes, and can potentially knock someone out for at least the rest of the scene. For more details see the full text of the Charm. Someone Else's Consequence - Reflexive, Instant; Combo-OK, Obvious, Shaping This Charm allows the martial artist to transfer unnatural mental influence or poison and sickness from himself. See the full text of the Charm for further details. Silken Rope Trick - 1wp, Reflexive, One Scene; Combo-Basic, Emotion, Obvious This Charm augments the martial artist's grapple rolls while in effect. It also can cause one grappled by the martial artist to gain an intimacy toward her. See the full text of the Charm for more details. Joy in Ownership - 2wp, Reflexive, Instant; Combo-OK, Illusion, Servitude, Touch This Charm inflicts unnatural mental influence against an unconscious target to gain a specific second Motivation. See the text of the Charm for further details. Sapphire Binding Pattern - 1wp, Reflexive, Instant; Combo-Basic, Obvious, Shaping, Stackable This Charm allows for further effects against those who are held during a grapple with the martial artist. See the full text of the Charm for details. Memories of Intimacy - supplemental, Instant; Combo-OK, Obvious This Charm supplements an unarmed attack, making it unblockable and undodgable if certain criteria apply to the target. See the full text of the Charm for details. Astrology The Corpse The Ewer The Lovers The Musician The Peakcock The Pillar The Sorcerer Equipment Possessions Artifacts Hearthstones Weapons/Armor Art Category:exalted Category:npc